Pinball playfield roller assembly

Abstract

A pinball machine is provided and includes a game cabinet having disposed therein a playfield movable between open, intermediate, and closed positions. A support assembly is used for maintaining the playfield within the cabinet. The support assembly includes a pair of cabinet brackets mounted one to each side of the cabinet where each of the brackets has a riding surface. A pair of wheels are mounted to the playfield and are provided to ride along the riding surface of a corresponding one of the cabinet brackets. A pair of support arms is further provided each having one end thereof pivotally attached to the cabinet and the other end thereof pivotally attached to the playfield wherein at least one of the support arms has pivotally attached thereto a prop arm which is engageable with the playfield when the playfield is disposed in the intermediate position.

We claim: 
     
       1. A pinball machine, comprising: a cabinet supporting a pair of cabinet brackets each having a riding surface;   a playfield disposed within said cabinet and movable therein between an open, intermediate, and closed position, said playfield supporting a pair of wheels each engageable with said riding surface of a corresponding one of said cabinet brackets; and   at least one support arm pivotally linked to said cabinet at one end thereof and pivotally linked at the other end thereof to said playfield for guiding and supporting said playfield in movement between said positions.   
     
     
       2. The pinball machine as recited in claim 1, comprising a pair of support arms wherein each of said support arms is pivotally linked at one end thereof to said cabinet with the other end thereof being pivotally linked to said playfield. 
     
     
       3. The pinball machine as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of said support arms has pivotally attached thereto a prop arm which prop arm is engageable with said playfield when said playfield is in said intermediate position. 
     
     
       4. The pinball machine as recited in claim 3, wherein said one of said support arms further comprises at least one post engageable with said prop arm for limiting rotational movement of said prop arm. 
     
     
       5. The pinball machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said playfield has attached thereto a pair of support brackets and wherein said support brackets are engageable with said riding surface of a corresponding one of said cabinet brackets when said playfield is positioned in said closed position. 
     
     
       6. The pinball machine as recited in claim 5, wherein each of said support arms is pivotally connected to a corresponding one of said support brackets. 
     
     
       7. The pinball machine as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said cabinet brackets includes a stop and wherein each of said wheels engages a corresponding one of said stops when said playfield is positioned in said open position. 
     
     
       8. The pinball machine as recited in claim 2, further comprising a catch secured to said playfield and engageable with one of said cabinet brackets for preventing said playfield from being removed from said cabinet. 
     
     
       9. The pinball machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said catch is pivotally linked to said playfield and wherein said catch is rotatably movable to a position which prevents engagement between said catch and said one of said cabinet brackets for allowing said playfield to be removed from said cabinet. 
     
     
       10. A pinball machine, comprising: a game cabinet;   a playfield disposed with said cabinet and movable between open, intermediate, and closed positions; and   a support assembly for maintaining said playfield within said cabinet, said support assembly comprising:   a pair of cabinet brackets mounted to said cabinet, each of said brackets having a riding surface;   a pair of wheels mounted to said playfield, each of said wheels being engageable with said riding surface of a corresponding one of said cabinet brackets;   a pair of support brackets connected to said playfield; and   a pair of support arms each having one end thereof pivotally attached to said cabinet and the other end thereof pivotally attached to a corresponding one of said support brackets for guiding and supporting said playfield during movement between said positions;   wherein at least one of said support arms has pivotally attached thereto a prop arm which is engageable with said playfield when said playfield is disposed in said intermediate position.   
     
     
       11. The pinball machine as recited in claim 10, wherein each of said support brackets engages said riding surface of a corresponding one of said cabinet brackets when said playfield is disposed in said closed position. 
     
     
       12. The pinball machine as recited in claim 11, wherein said at least one of said support arms has at least one peg extending therefrom for limiting rotational movement of said prop arm. 
     
     
       13. The pinball machine as recited in claim 10, further comprising at least one catch linked to said playfield and engageable with one of said cabinet brackets for preventing removal of said playfield from said cabinet, said catch being further movable to a position wherein said catch will not engage said one of said cabinet brackets whereby said playfield will be freely removable from said cabinet. 
     
     
       14. A support assembly for use in movably maintaining a playfield within a pinball cabinet, comprising: a pair of cabinet brackets, each having a riding surface, adapted to be mounted to said cabinet;   a pair of contacts adapted to be linked to said playfield and engageable with said riding surface of a corresponding one of said cabinet brackets; and   a pair of support arms each having one end thereof adapted to be pivotally linked to said cabinet and the other end thereof adapted to be pivotally linked to said playfield for use in guiding and supporting movement of said playfield.   
     
     
       15. The support assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein said contacts each comprise a rotatable wheel assembly. 
     
     
       16. The support assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of said support arms further comprises a prop arm pivotally attached thereto and adapted to be engageable with said playfield. 
     
     
       17. The support assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein said at least one of said support arms includes at least one post for restricting rotational movement of said prop arm. 
     
     
       18. The support assembly as recited in claim 15, further comprising a catch assembly adapted to be linked to said playfield and engageable with one of said cabinet brackets for preventing removal of said playfield from said cabinet. 
     
     
       19. The support assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein said catch assembly is adapted to be rotatably linked to said playfield and wherein said catch assembly is movable to a position whereby said catch assembly will avoid contact with said one of said cabinet brackets whereby said playfield may be removed from said cabinet. 
     
     
       20. The support assembly as recited in claim 15, further comprising a pair of support brackets adapted to be mounted to said playfield each engageable with said riding surface of a corresponding one of said cabinet brackets. 
     
     
       21. The support assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein each of said support arms is pivotally connected to one of said support brackets.